This morning in staff meeting at my church, Terry read from Luke chapter 8. Later on, I was reading the rest of the chapter and I noticed a couple of stories that so beautifully describe the person of Jesus Christ, specifically His power.
Turn to (or click here: Luke 8:22-25). Jesus and his disciples have gotten into a boat, on their way to the other side of the lake. Because Jesus was tired, he decided to get some rest. While he was sleeping, a great storm began to toss the boat to and fro in the water. The disciples, afraid, woke Jesus up...okay I have to pause here. Jesus must have been some sleeper! I thought I slept like a rock, but I've got nothing on Jesus! Okay, back to the story. Upon being woken up, Jesus "rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was calm" (v.24). And Jesus simply says, "Where is your faith?" (v.25)
Why was Jesus able to rebuke the wind? Because the Son of God has authority over all things (Matt. 28:18) and upholds the universe with the word of his power (Heb. 1:3).
Let your sanctified imagination (as my pastor loves to say) visualize this. I think there is room for this given the descriptive nature of Luke's writing. The greatest storm the disciples had probably ever been in, especially in a boat, and Jesus, as Mark records, commands it, "Peace! Be still! (Mark 4:39). And it was still.
Look further down in the chapter at Luke 8:26-33. Jesus and his disciples have arrived in the country of Gerasenes (or Gadarenes, or maybe even Gergesenes) and have met a man with many demons. This man had been in bad shape for many years. Luke records that for a long time he had worn no clothes and lived among the tombs. But when the man saw Jesus, "he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" (v.28). Now, remember, this man had a demon, so we can rightly assume that this was the demon speaking. Many times the man had been bound with chains and shackles, but, through the power of the demon, he would break the bonds and be driven into the desert (v.29).
Jesus asks the demon, "What is your name?" Okay, we must pause again for a moment. Being omniscient, Jesus knew this demon's name. Why did he bother asking? To demonstrate the power of his word. Jesus commands and even demons obey.
The demon responds to Jesus, saying his name is Legion, implying there were many demons at work here (v.30). I think Legion knew what was coming. He begins begging Jesus not to throw him into the abyss (or bottomless pit), but, rather begging him to send them into a herd of pigs nearby.
Is it just me, or is this mildly amusing? Legion was begging permission to enter a herd of pigs to avoid being thrown into the bottomless pit, something they knew Jesus had the power to do. So instead of the pit, Jesus commanded Legion out of the man, and the pigs charged down a steep bank into the lake and drowned.
Moves you to worship doesn't it?
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